Burial casket



May 5,1931. J. D. RENSHLER j y 1,804,276

- BURIAL CASKET Filed June 2 1930 s Sheets-Sheet 1 gwvenl'om 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 J. D. RENSHLER BURIAL CASKET Filed June 28, 1930 FLmatVI LIL May 5,1931.

Ll I ||M| Patented May 5, 1931 JOHN D. RENSHLER,

BURIAL Application filed. June 28,

This invention relates to burial caskets and particularly metallic caskets provided with a supplementary lid comprising a rim and. a sheet of glass extending acress the rim which is adapted to be closed if desired before the main lid is closed or which may be turned upward into the main lid.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide means for hermetically sealing and locking this supplementary lid in a closed position and to provide means whereby this supplementary lid may be closed against a gasket so as to secure air-tight engagement of the supplementary lid with the body of the casket.

Another object in this connection is to provide means whereby the supplementary lid may be locked at a plurality of points around its rim or as readily unlocked, and

means for preventing accidental unlocking of the supplementary lid. I

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:-

'Figure 1 is a front elevation of a casket constructed .in accordance with my invention, the supplementary lid being lowered;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the casket on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3'is atop plan view'of the body of the casket with the supplementary lid in place, the supplementary lid being partly broken away and in section, the locking devices being shown on an exaggerated scale for clearness;

Figure4 is a fragmentary plan viewof a portion of the supplementary lid and one of the locking devices;

Figure 5 is an elevation partly in section of the locking dog;

Figure 6 is an elevation partly in section of the handle whereby the locking dogs are operated.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates the body of the casket and 11 the lid thereof which is hinged to the body ofthe casket I so that it may be turned down thereon, the lid being held up in a vertical position by or FINDLAY, OHIO GASKET 1930. Serial No. 464,592.

means of any suitable braces 12. The body of the casket is provided with the usual handles 13 whereby the casket may be lifted.

t is to be understood that the body of the casket may be ornamented and formed with suitable moldings, headings and the like to this end. The body of the casket and the lid is preferably made of cast metal, this metal consisting of a mixture of raw aluminum combined with silver and copper alloys so as to secure a casket which may be polished, grained or otherwise ornamented.

The interior of the lid of the casket is to be lined with crinkled satin or the like as is acter, but is shown as being formed to provide a relatively thick and resilient gasket. The lid 11 is arched transversely and formed at its margin with the inwardly extending flange 16 adapted to seatupon the flange 14 exteriorly of the gasket 15. The lid 11 is hinged at 17 to the body of the casket and may be provided with any suitable means whereby it may be locked or fastened when closed. Disposed inward of the lid 11 is the supplementary lid or sealing lid designated generally 18. This is formed of a metallic rim 19 and a transversely curved glass pane 20. The rim 19 is hinged at 21 to the flange 14 exteriorly of the gasket 15 and the rim is formed to provide a longitudinally extending recess 22 defined by an inwardly extending flange 23. Extending through this flange at a plurality of points are the pivot pins or shafts 24 carrying at their lower ends the locking dogs 25 held on the shafts or pins by set screws 26.

Mounted upon each pin or shaft 24 for rotation therewith is an arm 24, as shown in Figure 4. Carried upon the lower end of each pin and disposed beneath the flange 23 is the locking dog 25 heretofore referred to. This dog has a straight edge face 28 which is tangential to the axis of the dog and a curved face 29.

The upper face of the dog is cut away on an incline as at 30, see Figure 5 so that when the dog is rotated beneath the flange 14, the dog will have a wedging action and act to draw the rim 19 down tight against the gasket 15. Certain of the arms 27 as shown in Figures 2 and 4 are formed with a T- sliaped head 31. At the corners-of the lid there are provided the T-shaped levers 32. The arms 27 which extend along the front of the casket are connected to a single reciprocat-able operating rod 33, this in turn at its opposite ends being connected to the adjacent Tshaped heads 31 as shown in Figure 2. The T-shaped heads 31 in turn are connected by links 34 to the adjacent ends of the T-shaped levers 32. At the ends of the casket, the T-shaped levers 31 are connected by a link 35 to each other and by links 36 to the T-shaped levers 32. There are five or more locking dogs on the front of the casket, but only two locking dogs at the rear of the casket, these locking dogs being connected by the connecting rods-37 to the adjacent T-shaped levers 32 disposed in the rear corners of the casket.

One of the shafts 24, which shaft I have designated particularly as 24 is extended upward as shown in Figure 2 through the upper face of the rim and is provided with a handle 38. This handle extends downward and outward and is formed at its up per end with a socket 39 into which the shaft 24 extends and which it is pivoted to as at 40 so that the handle when oscillated will oscillate the shaft 24 but permitting the handle to be turned downward to a lowered position and engaged with a lockin pin 41 extending outward frcen the rim. When the handle is lowered and engaged with this locking pin, the handle is latched in such position that the dogs 25 will engage beneath the flange 14. If it be desired to unlock. the dogs, the handle is lifted and then rotated through a quarter turn.

This causes the locking dogs to be turned to the position shown in Figure 4 or beyond this position as shown in Figure 2, the inclined face 30 of the locking dogs acting to draw the rim 19 downward against the packing gasket 15, thus sealing. the casket entirely. By turning the handle in the opposite irection, the locking dogs will all be thrown to the position shown in Figure 2, in which case the supplementary lid 18 may be raised. Inasmuch as the lid of the casket is concave, the concave supplementary lid maybe turned up into the lid of the casket and inasmuch as it is largely composed of the glass pane 18, the interior decoration of the lid of the casket will be seen. The glass pane 20 is held in place within the rim 19, as illustrated, by metallic strips 42 as shown in Figure 2. Any other suitable means for holding the glass pane in place may be used, however. The lid is also held open by suitable braces, not shown, when this supplementary lid is in a raised position.

It will be seen that I have provided very simple means for hermetically sealing the supplementary lid 18 to the body of the casket by forcing the lid downward tightly againstthe rubber or composition sealing gasket 15. Handles 43 as shown in Figure 1 may be provided for raising or lowering the supplementary lid. While I do not wish to be limited to the particular character of the casket, yet as I have before stated, it ispreferably made of solid cast silver aluminum alloy, which metal is adapted to receive a very high degree of ornamentation. It is also to be understood that the cross sectional view of Figure 2 merely shows diagrammatically as it may be termed, the transverse section of the casket which may be made heavier than is apparently illustrated and may have any desired configuration of contour.

The composition used in my casket may be entirely new and of particular value as material for burial caskets. This composi tion is as follows To one hundred pounds raw aluminum heated to -1200 F., there is added copper alloy 1/10th of one per cent, silver alloy, 2/10ths of one per cent, nickel alloy, 3/10ths of one per cent, and zinc,'1/10th of one per cent. When this mixture has a temperature of 1200 F. it is poured in sand molds and cooled slowly. It is afterwards burnished or otherwise treated to close the pores and to give an ornamental finish to the casket.

It will be understood, of course, that Figures 2 and 3 show the locking devices on a relatively exaggerated scale with reference to the area of the casket. The locking devices will be practically concealed by the rim 19, particularly when the locking devices are turned to an unlocked position. In the drawing, however, it isnecessary to show the locking devices as being relatively large and observable.

I claim l. A burial casket comprising a body formed with an inwardly extending flange, a main lid operatively hinged to the body, a supplementary lid operatively hinged to the main lid including a rim and a transparent pane, a gasket mounted upon the flange of the body and against which the rim is adapted to bear when the supplementary lid is closed, and means for drawing the supplementary lid against said gasket including a plurality of rotatable locking dogs disposed at intervals around said rim and adapted when turned into one position to engage beneath thefiange of the casket body, each locking dog having a straight side face tangential to a circle concentric to the shaft and concentric to the axis of the dog, and a curved flange, the upper face of which is inclined; an oscillatable handle mounted upon the rim at one point and operative connections between said locking dogs and the handle whereby the dogs shall be turned as the handle is oscillated in one direction to shift the dogs beneath the flange and turned to retract said dogs from beneath said flange when the handle is turned in the opposite direction.

2. A burial casket comprising a metallic body formed with an inwardly extending flange, a sealing gasket mounted upon said flange adjacent the inner edge thereof, a main lid hingedly mounted upon the casket, a supplementary lid hingedly mounted upon said flange and including a rim formed to provide a recess opening upon the inner face of the rim, shafts extending upward through the walls of said recess and projecting below the rim and disposed at intervals around the rim, arms attached to said shafts, locking dogs mounted upon the lower ends of said shafts and rotatable therewith, each locking dog having a straight side face tangential to a circle concentric to the shaft, and a curved flange, the upper face of said curved flange being inclined, and means for rotating said locking dogs carrying said inclined faced flange beneath the flange of the body comprising a series of links pivotally connected to said arms, and a handle mounted upon one of the shafts whereby all of the locking dogs may be simultaneously rotated to or from a locked position.

3. A burial casket comprising a metallic body formed with an inwardly extending flange, a sealing gasket mounted upon said flange adjacent the inner edge thereof, a main lid hingedly mounted upon the casket, a supplementary lid hingedly mounted upon said flange and including a rim formed to provide a recess opening upon the inner face of the rim, shafts extending upward through the walls of said recess and projecting below the rim and disposed at intervals around the rim, arms attached to said shafts, locking dogs mounted upon the lower ends of said shafts and rotatable therewith, each locking dog having a straight side face tangential to the circle concentric to the shaft, and a curved flange, the upper face of said curved flange being inclined, and means for rotating said locking dogs carrying said inclined faced flange beneath the flange of the body comprising a series of links pivotally connected to said arms, a handle mounted upon one of the shafts whereby all of the locking dogs may be simultaneously rotated to or from a locked position, the handle being pivoted to the shaft whereby it may be oscillated in a vertical plane, and detent means when the handle is lowered latching the handle from oscillation.

4:. A casket having a metallic body formed along its upper margin with an inwardly extending flange, a lid hinged to said flange and including a rim, a plurality of locking dogs mounted upon the rim and adapted when shifted in one position to engage beneath one flange of the body, a ver tical shaft mounted upon said rim and operatively connected to said locking dogs to cause the dogs to be shifted to an unlocking position when the shaft is turned into one position and in locked position when the shaft is turned to another position, and a handle pivotally mounted upon the shaft for movement in a vertical plane, the handle and the shaft rotating unitarily, the free end of the handle on its under face and the rim being so formed that when the locking dogs are projected the handle and rim will have interlocking engagement with each other acting to prevent an accidental rotation of the handle and shaft.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

JOHN D. RENSHLER. 

